Saturday, July 28, 2007

I'm missing something here. I don't see how you get from malt liquor,
marijuana use, and alcohol problems later in life are correlated to the
conclusion that malt liquor causes marijuana use and alcoholism. I didn't read
the study so maybe there's some way to tease causality out of the data, but why
should we be surprised that someone who, when given a choice, chooses a high alcohol content beverage, and one that has a relatively low per dollar alcohol
cost (see bottom of table 1 for responses to "because it is cheap" and "to get drunk quickly," the two most often cited reasons for choosing malt liquor), would also tend to use other drugs at a higher than average
rate and be at a higher risk for alcoholism later in life?:

Malt liquor linked to marijuana use among young adults, EurakAlert: Drinking
malt liquor -- the cheap, high-alcohol beverage often marketed to teens -- may
put young adults at increased risk for alcohol problems and use of illicit
drugs, particularly marijuana, according to a new study of malt liquor drinkers
and marijuana use by scientists at the University at Buffalo’s Research
Institute on Addictions (RIA).

“In our study of young adults who regularly drink malt liquor,” reports lead
researcher R. Lorraine Collins, senior research scientist at RIA, “we found that
malt liquor use is significantly related to reports of alcohol problems,
problems specific to the use of malt liquor and to marijuana use above and
beyond typical alcohol use.” ...

The study consisted of 639 young adults (456 men) of approximately 23 years
of age who regularly consume 40 ounces or more of malt liquor per week. ... The
participants were heavy drinkers, averaging 30 alcoholic drinks -- including 17
malt liquor drinks -- per week.

In addition to malt liquor use, marijuana was the illicit drug of choice,
with 46 percent reporting simultaneous use of malt liquor and marijuana.
Individuals who used malt liquor and marijuana together smoked 19 marijuana
joints, on average, during a typical week, whereas those who did not use the two
together smoked two marijuana joints, on average, during a typical week. Very
few participants reported regular use of other illicit drugs.

For those individuals who use malt liquor and marijuana simultaneously, the
study showed that they first drank alcohol at a younger age (between 13 and 14
years) and reported more substance use (particularly marijuana use) and more
alcohol-related problems than those who did not use both malt liquor and
marijuana together. Sixty-one percent of the participants reported that they
consumed one to two 40-ounce containers of malt liquor on a typical drinking
occasion. Given malt liquor’s higher alcohol content -- 6-11 percent alcohol --
this level of intake could translate into 3.5 (one 40-oz. bottle at 6 percent)
to 14 (two 40-oz. bottles at 11 percent) standard drinks.

“These results suggest that regular consumption of malt liquor, beyond that
associated with typical alcohol use, may place young adults at increased risk
for substance abuse problems,” Collins says. “Although many of these young
people may not yet meet diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence, there is
clearly a need for prevention strategies targeted to ... excessive drinking of
malt liquor.”

I have a hard time believing that stopping people from drinking malt liquor
in and of itself will do much, if anything, to prevent addiction problems. If malt liquor disappears, another drink will take its place. The focus needs to be on changing the behavior and thought processes that lead to excessive drinking and drug use, not on eliminating a particular type of drink.

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Is Malt Liquor the Problem?

I'm missing something here. I don't see how you get from malt liquor,
marijuana use, and alcohol problems later in life are correlated to the
conclusion that malt liquor causes marijuana use and alcoholism. I didn't read
the study so maybe there's some way to tease causality out of the data, but why
should we be surprised that someone who, when given a choice, chooses a high alcohol content beverage, and one that has a relatively low per dollar alcohol
cost (see bottom of table 1 for responses to "because it is cheap" and "to get drunk quickly," the two most often cited reasons for choosing malt liquor), would also tend to use other drugs at a higher than average
rate and be at a higher risk for alcoholism later in life?:

Malt liquor linked to marijuana use among young adults, EurakAlert: Drinking
malt liquor -- the cheap, high-alcohol beverage often marketed to teens -- may
put young adults at increased risk for alcohol problems and use of illicit
drugs, particularly marijuana, according to a new study of malt liquor drinkers
and marijuana use by scientists at the University at Buffalo’s Research
Institute on Addictions (RIA).

“In our study of young adults who regularly drink malt liquor,” reports lead
researcher R. Lorraine Collins, senior research scientist at RIA, “we found that
malt liquor use is significantly related to reports of alcohol problems,
problems specific to the use of malt liquor and to marijuana use above and
beyond typical alcohol use.” ...

The study consisted of 639 young adults (456 men) of approximately 23 years
of age who regularly consume 40 ounces or more of malt liquor per week. ... The
participants were heavy drinkers, averaging 30 alcoholic drinks -- including 17
malt liquor drinks -- per week.

In addition to malt liquor use, marijuana was the illicit drug of choice,
with 46 percent reporting simultaneous use of malt liquor and marijuana.
Individuals who used malt liquor and marijuana together smoked 19 marijuana
joints, on average, during a typical week, whereas those who did not use the two
together smoked two marijuana joints, on average, during a typical week. Very
few participants reported regular use of other illicit drugs.

For those individuals who use malt liquor and marijuana simultaneously, the
study showed that they first drank alcohol at a younger age (between 13 and 14
years) and reported more substance use (particularly marijuana use) and more
alcohol-related problems than those who did not use both malt liquor and
marijuana together. Sixty-one percent of the participants reported that they
consumed one to two 40-ounce containers of malt liquor on a typical drinking
occasion. Given malt liquor’s higher alcohol content -- 6-11 percent alcohol --
this level of intake could translate into 3.5 (one 40-oz. bottle at 6 percent)
to 14 (two 40-oz. bottles at 11 percent) standard drinks.

“These results suggest that regular consumption of malt liquor, beyond that
associated with typical alcohol use, may place young adults at increased risk
for substance abuse problems,” Collins says. “Although many of these young
people may not yet meet diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence, there is
clearly a need for prevention strategies targeted to ... excessive drinking of
malt liquor.”

I have a hard time believing that stopping people from drinking malt liquor
in and of itself will do much, if anything, to prevent addiction problems. If malt liquor disappears, another drink will take its place. The focus needs to be on changing the behavior and thought processes that lead to excessive drinking and drug use, not on eliminating a particular type of drink.